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The Manitoba government is investing in the health of mothers and babies through the Healthy Baby Program, Children and Youth Opportunities Minister Kevin Chief announced July 3, 2013. “The Healthy Baby Program supports moms and their families early and gives them financial and community support,” said Chief. “Early childhood development programs, like Healthy Baby Manitoba, have shown they give babies a strong start by increasing moms’ access to prenatal care, increased breastfeeding rates and decreased number of preterm births.”

Excerpt: "The Alberta Approach to Early Childhood Development aims to change that by improving supports and services so that all children have the opportunity to reach their full potential. Our plan is to create connected networks rooted in communities – to build a systematic approach to early childhood development that ensures every Alberta baby, toddler, child, and their family has access to high quality programs and services. Our plan means working together more effectively. The Ministries of Human Services, Health and Education are collaborating with each other and with communities to make this happen."

Beginning July 2013, 510,000 families will receive an increase of up to $110 and 24,000 families will become eligible for the Ontario Child Benefit for the first time. This additional support will help families with the cost of food, clothing, recreation and other necessities. The benefit will increase in July 2013 to a maximum annual payment of $1,210 for each child, and then to $1,310 in July 2014.

The Inquiry into the Circumstances Surrounding the Death of Phoenix Sinclair was established in March 2011 by the Government of Manitoba, to investigate the death of Phoenix Sinclair - a five-year-old aboriginal girl who was murdered by her mother and stepfather. Her death went undiscovered for nine months. From the time of her birth Phoenix and her family were in and out of contact with the child welfare system in Manitoba.

The inquiry reviewed the child welfare services that were delivered to Phoenix and her family, and attempted to find out why the death went undiscovered for so long. In addition, the commission is examining the systemic issues that underlie this case, including the conditions and challenges that bring urban aboriginal people into contact with the child welfare system and the services and programs that exist, or ought to exist, outside the child welfare system to support families and prevent tragedies such as this one.

The Atkinson Centre’s, Kerry McCuaig prepared a discussion paper and presented to the commission on May 29, 2013 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Family Services and Labour Minister Jennifer Howard announced a new partnership with l’Université de Saint-Boniface and an expanded partnership with Assiniboine Community College that will give 70 more child-care professionals access to the province’s popular workplace-based early childhood education diploma program. The new partnerships mean the program will begin training a total of 135 early childhood educators this year.

Article by MaryLou Mackie and Scott Podrebarac of the Waterloo Region District School Board: Does Full Day Kindergarten deliver? Early indicators point to an enthusiastic "Yes!" The experience of the Waterloo Region District School Board, a district that has embraced both Full Day Kindergarten (FDK), and the vision of extended Before and After school programs articulated in Charles Pascal’s, With our Best Future in Mind, suggests that there are immediate and sustained gains for children.

Article by Charles Pascal and Janette Pelletier: Full day kindergarten for four and five year olds in Ontario has many champions – parents, educators, researchers and the children themselves. But it does have its detractors. In this response to The Munchkin Invasion appearing in the May 27/2013 issue of MacLean’s magazine, Charles Pascal, the author of Ontario’s blueprint for early learning, and researcher Janette Pelletier discuss the pitfalls of using disconnected research to draw broad policy conclusions.

The Accord on Early Learning and Early Childhood Education by the Association of Canadian Deans of Education (ACDE) seeks to address the uneven provision of quality early learning experiences by highlighting practices that focus on the learning and care of all children; promoting improved, better connected education for preschool and elementary children; and recognizing educator knowledge as vital to effective education for early learners and their families. It was launched at the Canadian Society for Studies in Education Conference, Victoria, B.C. on June 2.

Excerpt: "Through the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Aboriginal Head Start Strategic Fund, the Government of Canada invests $3 million annually in support of initiatives that benefit the Aboriginal Head Start in Urban and Northern Communities (AHSUNC) program.

Today’s funding announcement of over $1 million will support a project led by the Nunavut Arctic College in partnership with the Government of Nunavut Department of Education to increase the quality and the availability of early childhood care and programming such as AHSUNC; and to establish an approach that will build early childhood development capacity across three regions in Nunavut."

Excerpt: "The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health and Member of Parliament for Nunavut, announced funding for a project to provide capacity to expand the availability of preschool programs for children ages 3 to 5 years of age living in communities across Nunavut.

“We want children to achieve their full potential,” said Minister Aglukkaq. “That’s why we are investing to have qualified early childhood educators deliver culturally relevant programs that prepare Nunavut children for school and a good start in life.”"

Presented by Petr Varmuza and Michal Perlman, University of Toronto, at the Atkinson Centre Early Years Task Force meeting, May 8, 2013.

Discussing a recent analysis of the City of Toronto's subsidy wait list exploring when children receive care vs. when their parents need it.

Excerpt: "Update and amend legislation designed to improve the well-being, safety, security, education and health of children. Enhance the tools, process and policies that impact how government and service providers deliver programs and services for children and youth."